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Is Attending Tokyo International University Worth It?
Currently, my personal savings will sustain me for the first six months at the university. Therefore, it is crucial for me to secure a part-time job within that time frame. My concern is whether I can find a part-time job in Tokyo without knowing any Japanese.
Additionally, I am curious about the value of a degree from TIU. Will it enhance my prospects if I choose to stay in Japan, or will it be beneficial for pursuing a career in other countries?
N.B.: Pleas do reply because I really need the information badly at this moment
ngl 100% tuition is insane value so congrats on that. for the job thing, i'd actually look into the university's own part time support first - TIU has a career center on campus that sometimes hooks students up with translation-adjacent gigs or remote data entry for local companies, and they're more lenient about japanese requirements since you're a scholar. also check out the tokyo international exchange center in ikebukuro, they run free japanese classes and have a bulletin board with jobs that don't need much language
about the degree's worth, it's middling for name recognition but the digital business course has a good rep in the adtech and ecommerce scene around kawagoe itself - there's a bunch of small agencies near the station that hire TIU grads for english content work. outside japan you'd be relying on the scholarship story more than the school name, which honestly is a pretty strong talking point in interviews if you frame it right
You already got the big picture from the others, so I'll focus on the practical money side. Your savings covering six months is tight but doable if you land a gig within the first two or three months. Without Japanese, your best bet is delivery apps like Uber Eats on a bicycle or food service at chain hotels near Shinjuku or Shibuya where they hire non-Japanese speakers for back-of-house work. Those pay around 1,000 to 1,200 yen per hour and you can pick up shifts evenings and weekends.
On the degree, TIU has a decent alumni network in Tokyo's smaller IT firms and startups, especially if you join the career events they run in Kawagoe. But for leaving Japan, it won't carry weight on its own, so treat the scholarship as a chance to build a solid portfolio and network rather than relying on the name.
honestly that scholarship is a killer deal, you'd be dumb to pass it up. but the person above is right about work being tough without japanese - though i'd add that places like shimokitazawa or koenji have more english-friendly cafes and bars run by foreigners, so it's not impossible if you're persistent. tiu's campus is in kawagoe which is like 45 mins from central tokyo by train, so factor that commute into your life if you plan to work in the city
for the degree value, it's decent if you want to work in japan for a japanese company but they'll still care about your japanese level more than the school name. outside japan, tiu isn't well known so it won't open doors by itself - but the digital business program is pretty practical and you can build a portfolio during the course which matters more than the diploma in tech roles. just keep your expectations realistic about job hunting here, six months is doable but you'll need to grind hard on indeed and tokyo gig guide from day one
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Where can I find crispy, pan-fried bacon similar to a certain international style?
if u have a costco membership the kirkland thick cut is the move, 4 packs of 500g for around 2500 yen and it crisps up proper in a cold pan. for smaller runs, precce in azabudai hills & the basement at isetan shinjuku both carry imported US & danish brands in the chilled case, just read the label for "thick cut" or "smoked" and not "loin". also worth knowing japanese bacon is often wet-cured so pat it dry before frying or it steams instead of crisping
kaldi coffee farm is hit or miss but their smoked bacon from denmark shows up pretty regular, the 200g pack runs about 600 yen. what actually works better for me is asking the butcher counter at peacock or life to slice the block bacon thick, like 5mm, they do it for free and it crisps way better than the pre-packed stuff. also fwiw cheap bacon crisps faster, the fatty supermarket kind at 300 yen a pack works fine if u cook it from cold in a dry pan and pour off the fat as it renders.
tbh the gyomu super store brand bacon is surprisingly decent for crisping up, its not thick cut but if you cook it low and slow it gets pretty crunchy. the key is the dry cure vs wet cure thing, wet cure steams. also check hanamasa if you have one nearby, they sell big packs of american style bacon thats actually smoked and firm.